Drop bar clean-out



G. C. PAXTON DROP BAR CLEAN-OUT Filed March 25, 1936v PatentedyNov. 167 1937 l Unirse sili'rii-sv PATENT oFFigcE DROP BAR CLEAN-OUT Gerald V(l. Paxton, Santa Ana,l Calif., assignor,l

by mesne assignments, to Food Machinery Cor@ poration, a corporation of Delaware Application Marchl 23, 1936, Serial No. 70,493

v14 claims. (ci. 14e- 202) My invention relates to devices for conveying f Scription taken in connection With the (accomrollable articles and has particularly, utility in Vpanying drawing, in which:

devices of this nature in which such articles re- Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional `View of a preceive a treatment through contact of the articles l ferred emb-odiment of my invention taken on line -with the conveying surfaces of such devices. `I--l of Fig. 2. '5

During the past decade, transverse roller con- Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sec-ly veyors have come into Wide use in handling citrus tional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

fruits, and particularly oranges, incidental to ac` Fig. 3 is a still further enlarged fragmentary complishing a treatment on the fruit such as View illustrating a fragment of. Fig. 1 and par-V Washing, drying, or polishing the'fruit. In most tially brokenaway to disclose the structure lof the 10 of these conveyors the rollers constitute cylindricleanout bar supporting arms and endless chains calbrushes and the various treatments are efof myinvention with `the cleanoutr bar disposed footed in part at least by the brushing action of vertically above thel axes ofY one of the brush thesebrushes upon the fruit.V rollers. f

' 1.5; 'My invention has to. do with ysuch conveyors Fig. 4V is a View similar to Fig. A3 illustrating the 15 and, .being particularly 'useful in a Vtransverse cleanout bar in its lowermostposition While dis- 'fruit brusher, wiii be described herein as emposed over and traveling from left to right bodied in such a device. through one of the fruit treating Valleys of the The transverse rollers of a transverse fruit meellrlel Y f2() brusher form a series of valleys, one between each Fie'. 5 S a Still further enlarged fragmentary 2O adjacent pair' of rollers. Treatment of the fruit View teken 0n the line 5-5 0f FE- 3 and llllS- results from rotating the brush rollers all in the Walling the DVOlal Connection 0f a CleenOU-l ber seme direction while the fruit rests on the rollers Supporting arm t0 a pivot member provided on .in the valleys therebetween; The fruit remains one 0f the endless Chains 0f my nVentiOn in each of these valleys until impelled therefrom F S a fragmentary *exterior* side eleva- ,25 into thernext Valley in advance thereof! by n tional View taken in thesaine directlon as Fig. 1

Coming fruit or until thus mpelled byv a me and illustrating the intermittent cleanout drive chanical device known generally as a cleanout. mehamsm of my mventon- In order to insure that all pieces of fruit re- Eug- 7 1S a fragmentary enlargedplal? View ceive a uniform degree .of treatment in a transtaken m the dlrectlon of the arrow 1 m Flg' 30 verse brush and in order to determine what that I, Wm 0W refer speclcauy t0 the drawlng degree shall be, cleanouts have proved to be in.- Whlqh shows a, Preferred ,embodlment of my m vention comprising a fruit brusher Ill having a dispensable in most cases. Y f l l b h u ,t l2 l t h Most 'of Vthe cleanouts heretofore devised have ggg s3 nsclgnlive u' nou mec 35 left something to be desired either 1n their con- The frame H includes Side plates I6 and I.'

struction or in the results of their operation. n The presentV invention constitutes an improve-` o legd lerlpsrellatmnly mf taldslg me?? l?. theftlpel Orf, 01 a'mlt dlscletlnh Mounted at opposite ends of the frame ll are app Ca lon O a e ax on er' 9' e inlet and outletl drop boards 20 and 2| respective'- 40 May .31 19351 t. ly, as shown in Fig. 1. Provided upon upper It 1S an Omect of. my mven lon to provld? a edges of the side Walls I6 and Il are cylindrical cleo-hout having an improved means for causing beadsv 22. Secured as by bolts 23 to the Side the cleanout member to follow the contour of Walls 'lo and n are metal aprons M upper portions of the transverse rollers of a 'I'he brushing unit l2 includes a series of brush 45 transverse roller Conveyorj rollers 25 which are rotatably mounted on drive Another object 1s to provide a CleaYlOlll? 1n Which shafts 26 and idle shafts 2l, as shown in Fig. 2. the cleanout member 'will follow such contour The Shafts 23 are mounted in goor housings gg more Closely than pTeVlOuSlY possblecontaining suitable gear transmission mechan Yet arleliller Objeel S t0 DrOVde a more Simple nism (not shown) through which all of the shafts 50 Y and inexpensive meehaniem fOr CauSirlg the 26 are rotated in the same direction at the same cleaIlO-llt member 170 OllOW Such C0r1l1011r rate by a longitudinal main drive shaft 30 ex- Tlle manner 0f aeeOInDllShirlg Athe fOregOing tending through the housing 28. The idle shafts objects, as well as further objects and advan- 2? are each supported in one of a series of bracktages, will be made manifest in the following deets 3| provided on the frame i l. The brush 55 rollers 25 preferably include wooden cores 34 having heavy bristles 35 extending therefrom and trimmed to cylindrical form, each core 34 having metal ferrules 36 at its opposite'ends which connect with the shafts 26 andrpivotally receive the shafts 21 in the well known manner. Each of the shafts 21 isheld in its respective bracket 3| by a set screw 38. The upwardly disposed surfaces of the brush rollers 25 operate to form treating surfaces for rollable objects, and particularly citrus fruits, this surface comprising a series of valleys 49 lying between adjacent brushes.

The cleanout mechanism I3 includes" upper tracks 59, lower tracks upper end sprockets 52,

lower end sprockets Y53, idler sprockets 54, end-` less chains 55, cleanout bars 56 and supporting H arms 51.

The upper and lower tracks 50 and 5I comprise channel irons 69 having rails. SI weldedinthe mouth thereof and in opposed relation. The upper tracks 59 are welded to the inner surfaces of the Y aprons 24 so that the lower edges of these aprons extend downwardly over lthe space between theY sprockets 54 are pvotally mounted on suitableY stub shafts 68 provided on the side walls I6 and I1. The tracks 59 and 5I and the sprocketsr52, 53and 54 are allin vertical alignment with each other and the endless chains 55 extendarcund these sprockets and through theseV tracks as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The chains 55 are of the roller chain type having rollers 18 and inside link plates 1I and outside link plates 12, the rollers Vbeing 'mounted upon vpins 13. In passing through the tracks 59 and 5IV and rollers 18 lie in the space between the opposed rails el and the link plates 1i extendA upwardly and downwardly oppositeV the upper and lower rails 5I so as to render it impossible for the chain to be dislodged from these tracks.

For each of the cleanout members 56 the chains 55 have, at points exactly opposite each other, a pair of the outer plates 12 of these chains replaced Yby pivot membersr15-which, when'dis' posed in the upper flights of the chains, extend downwardly below the level of the chains as shown in Fig. 3. Each of these pivot members 15 connected thereto by a rivet 11 (see Fig. 3). Each ofthe cleanout bar arms 51 includes an upright inner portion 19 havingra pin 89 extending inwardly therefrom, a lower cross portion' 82 andVV an outer upright portion 83, the latter beingv suitably apertured to'receive the rivet 11' (see Fig. 5). I

The vportion 83 of each arm 51 has aun arcuate slot 85 which receives a pin 85 provided in the pivot member 15 Yon which this arm 51' is mounted. As will be seen by a comparisonof tubing, the ends of this preferablyV being flattened as shown in Fig. 5 and tted over pins Si! which also have flattened faces 88 to prevent the rotation of the cleanout bars 56 by the friQlllQiilfl contact thereof with the rollers 25. v

Yshaft154 are given a half revolution. has one of the cleanout bar arms-51 pivotally The cleanout bars 56 are The cleanout drive mechanism I4 includes a wheel 99 which is keyed on to the shaft @il this wheel having a pair of diametrically opposed teeth 9I shown in Fig. 6. Also mounted on the shaft 64 isa collar 92. Between the collar 92 and the wheel 99 is an idleV sprocket 93, the latter being in radial .alignment with a sprocket 94 which is keyed onran outwardly extending end 95 of one of the brush roller drive shaftsv 26. Encircling the sprockets 93 and 95 is an endless roller chain 98 having one or more double links 91 'provided thereon extending outwardly there-V from as shown in Fig. '1. g

Y Operation The operation of the fruit treating machine I9 when used forbrushing oranges is as follows:

- Power is applied to the shaft 39 causing the rotation in the direction of theV arrows shown in Fig. 1 of allfthe brush rollers 25. This rotation is preferablyrbetween 75 R. P. M. and.250 R. P. M. Rotation of the brush roller drive shafts 2S also causes rotation of sprockets 94 and 93. Fruit, such as for instance oranges,V is now fed'over the dropboard 29 into the first valley 49 of the Y machine-.and after this valley has been lled the feeding of additional fruit causes fruit to overilow into the next valley and so on until all the valleys in the machine are filled with fruit. In case there should be none of thedouble links 91 on the cleanout actuating mechanism vI4 the cleanouts 5S would not move from their regular positions, in which they are located directly Vabove one or the other of the brush rollers 25. In such a case, the regular feeding of the fruit will cause this to pass from the valley just to the rear of each cleanout bar 56 directly over this into the Y providedA on the chain 96 so that as this chain travels about the sprockets 93 and 94 Veach ofV the links 91 periodically comes into contact with thatone of the teeth 9| disposed in the path of this link 91. When this occurs the wheel 98 and As the sprockets 53, mounted on shaft 64 are keyed thereto,V these sprockets rotate'with shaft 64 and cause a movement ofthe chains 575 for a ldistance 'requalto one-half the pitch circumference ofthe sprockets 53 mounted on the shaft 64.

The machine I9 is preferably so designed that each of these movements begins and ends with each cleanout bar 56 which is disposed above the brush rollers 25, located directly over one of these rollers. In practice it has been found preferable tomove the cleanout bars 5G during each of these movements only for a distance equal to the spac- Y ing of adjacent rollers;

As no means is provided in my invention for supporting the cleanout bars 53, these bars when over the uppermost portions of each of the brush rollers 25 rest directly upon these rollers, as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. S--in which `a cleanout bar 56 is'there shown in its extremely elevated position and the upper surface `of the brush. roller therebeneath is indicated inY a broken line.

While moving up onto each of the brush rollers a cleanout bar Eli-is lifted by'engagement'of the bar with the` surface of'that roller travelling in an upward direction. This friction, of course, easily lifts the' light cleanout tube 56.1 and supports this when the cleanout mechanism'pauses with this. cleanout Vmember directly above the axis of a brush roller 25, as shown in Fig. 3. The forces exerted onthe cleanout bar travel along the plane which passes through the pivotalaxis of ythe arms '5l and the line of contact between Vthe cleanout bar and the roller 25 on which it 4is resting. This plane, of course, intersects with the plane in which the frictional forces between the roller and the cleanout bar are exerted against the bar. tangent to the brush' roller 25 at the line where this ls touched by the bar.V Where the angle between these two planes which faces'the brush is less than 180, the combined effect of the fricf tional forces exerted against the bar by the roll- As one of the links 91 of the actuating mechanism Mengages a tooth 9| and thus abruptly starts one of the intermittent movementsof the chains 55 each of the cleanout bars 56, disposed over the'brushes 25, is drawn with equal suddenness to the right from the position in'whichgone of these is shown in Fig. 3 until it is again located directly over the next adjacent brush roller 25; Just before this cleanout Vmember passes out of contact with the roller over which it had just previously been superimposed theline of tangency between it and that roller swings downwardly theoreticallygiving thecleanout membery a tendency to bite into the surface of the roller.V This tendency has very slight effect, however, owing to the rapidity of the intermittent movementof the cleanout member and the limitation of the downward movement which it is possible for the cleanout member 56 to have owing tothe engagement of the pin 85 with the upper end of thev slot `85 as shown in Fig. 4.

During each advance thus made by the cleanout bars 56, the fruit in the valleys across which these bars travel is scooped out of these valleys and over into the valleysl next beyond these, respectively. This intermittent but progressive and positive movement of the fruit through the machine insures a uniform treatment of all the fruit by the brush rollers 25 and renders unnecessary the cleaning out of the residual fruit from the machine by hand when completing the treatment of each lot. v

It is also to be noted that vwhenever fruit is fed Y to the brusher It at a rate exceeding the average The latter plane, of course, is alwaysr What I claimgis:

`1-. In combinationwith a fruit treating machine of theLtype employing a Vseries' of treating rolls rotatableabout ixed axes andV arranged transversely to;` the flow' of. fruit thereover and in adjacent parallel.' relation to form? fruit supporting; valleys 'therebetween wherebyl lfruitxresting in each valley is dislodged therefrom by incoming fruit andcaused topassinto the' next, valley: a cleanoutfbar disposed parallel to said rolls.; guide means Adisposed substantially at the plane of the crestsjof saidfrollsj endless chains guided by sa'dsguide means; arms. extending angularlyr from opposite endsof saidbar and pivotally connected to said chains, said Vpivot points` being spaced a.

substantial Adistance longitudinally of saidmachine 'from said bar andpermitting said barn to freely rest on the crests of said rolls. when disposed opposite these; said armsY being `substantially shorter than thea-distance 'spacingfthe axes. vof adjacent'rolls; and means for limiting the downwardrswing of saidarms about said pivot points to prevent undue'frictionbeing set up between said bar and the surfaceofone of said rolls when the latter is'engagedby'said bar. .f

2. Incombination with a fruit treating machine of the type employing a series of treating rolls rotatable about flxed axes and arranged transverselyA to the flow of fruit thereover and in adjacentN parallel relation to form fruit supporting/valleys therebetween whereby fruit restingl in each valley is dislodged therefrom by incoming` fruit and caused lto pass into the next valley: a` cleanout bar'disposed parallel with-,said rolls; rcarrier means moving to propel said barl substantiallyalong the path of travel offruitv over said rolls so that said'bar engages fruit in advance thereof, and propels it through said machine, said bar in said travel riding at successive intervalslfor substantial'distances on upwardly disposed portions of said rolls;

and means on said carrier` means through which. the latter is associated with said bar for transmitting horizontal movement of lsaid carrier means. substantially rigidly through said bar to said fruit yet permitting the limited degree of up and down motion of said bar relative tosaid carrier means requisite for the bar toV readily follow the upper contour of each roll while resting thereon without substantial horizontal movement of said bar relative to said'carrierl means.

, 3. Incombination with a fruit treating machine of the type employingv a. series of treating rolls rotatable about xed axes and arranged transverselyto the flow ofv fruit thereover and in adjacent'parallel relation to form fruit supporting valleys therebetween whereby fruit resting in each valley is dislodged therefrom by incoming fruit and caused to pass into the next valley: a cleanout bar disposed parallel to said rolls; carrier means for substantially rigidly vtransmitting movement to said bar along the path of travel of fruit over said rolls so as to cause said bar to engage fruit in advance thereof and propel it through said machine, said means permitting said bar freedom during said travel to ride at successive intervals on substantial upwardly disposed portions of said rol-ls vand preventing'substantial horizontal movement of the bar relative to the carrier means; and means forl supporting said bar during said movement when said bar is moving away from contact with one roll and towards contact with the next roll.

4. In combination'with a fruit treating machine of the type employing aL series of treating rolls freedom during said travel to ride at successive e intervals on substantial upwardly Vdisposed portions of said rolls and preventing substantial horizontal movementv of the bar relative to the carrier means, said aforesaid means having means acting on said bar while the latter is riding on each roll and cooperating with the Vforces set up by friction between said roll and said bar to produce a resultant force substantiallyV free from the tendency to bind said bar against said roll, during a major portion of the distance through which said bar is in contact with said roll.

5. In combination with a fruit treating machine of the type employing a series of treating rolls ro- Y tatable about fixed axes` and arranged transversely to the ow of fruitrthereover and in ad-Y jacent parallel relation to'form fruit supporting valleys therebetween whereby fruit resting in each valley is dislodged therefrom by'incoming fruit and causedto pass into the nextV valley: a`

cleanout bar disposed parallel with said rolls; carrier means to carryV said bar substantially along the path of travel of fruit over said rolls so as to engage fruitY in`advance thereofv and propel it through said machine, said bar in 'said travel ridingV successively and relatively freely -on up-Y wardly disposed portions of said rolls; mounting means on said carrier means for mounting'said bar thereon,said bar mounting means permitting a limited degree of vertical movement by said bar Y Within said path and preventing substantial horizontal movement ofthe bar relative to thecarrier means; and `means supportingA said barv at the lower limit of said movement when said barl is Y being carried by said carrier means from contact with one roll towards contact with the next adjacent roll. L f

6. In combination with a fruit'treating machine of the type employing a series of treating rolls rotatable about fixed axes and arranged transversely to the flow of fruit thereover and in ad-Y 'Y jacent parallel relation to form fruit supporting valleys therebetweenwhereby fruit resting in each Valley is dislodged therefrom by incoming 'fruit and caused to pass into the next valley: a cleanout bar disposed parallel with said'rolls; carrier means to carry said bar substantially along the path of travel of fruit over said 'rolls' so as to engage fruit in vadvance thereof vand propel it through said machine, said bar Vin said travel riding successively and relatively freelyV on up-V wardly disposed portions of said rolls; and mount- ,Y ing means on said` carrier means for mounting said bar thereon, said bar mounting means Ypermitting a limited degree of vertical movement by said bar within said path and'supportingsaid bar Vat the lower limit of said movement when said bar is being carried by said carrier means from contact with one roll towards contact withzthleV next adjacent roll,said mounting meansl cooperating with each roll to confine the movement of said bar, while the latter is in contact with various portions of the up-turned surface of said roll, by the application of forces which combine with the force of frictionalcontact between said roll and said bar to substantially prevent the development of a binding resultant force at said point of contact which would substantially retard the rotation of said roll.

'7. A combination as in claim l, in which means is provided for'limiting the upward swing of said arms to positions` where said' bar is disposed in the path of fruit passing through said machine andlrelatively close to the plane of thercrests of said rolls. Y Y

8. In combination with a fruit treating ma- VVVchine of the type employing a series of treating *Y ing in each valley is dislodged therefrom by inchine, said bar in said travel ridingY at successive intervals for substantial 'distances on Vupwardly disposed portions of said rollers and means on saidycarrier means for `pivotally mounting the said bar on said carrier means, the axis of said pivots being eccentric to the axis'of said bar and being so positioned thatthe axis of said bar is elevatedat least as high as'said pivotal axis as the bar rides across the crests of sd rolls.

9. In combination with a fruit treating ma chine of the type employing a series of treating rolls rotatable about fixed axes and arranged transversely to the ow of fruit thereover and inV adjacentparallel relation to form fruit supporting valleys therebetween whereby fruit rest- Y ing in each valley is dislodged Vtherefrom by incoming fruit and caused to pass into the next valley: arcleanout bar disposed parallel with said rolls; carrier meansV moving to propel said bar Vsubstantially along the lpath of travel of fruit over said rolls so that said Ybar engages fruit inV Aadvance thereof and propels it through said machine, said bar in said travel riding at successive intervals for substantial distances on'upwardly Y disposedrportions of said rollers; and means on 'said carrier means for pivotallyrmolmting the said bar on said carrier means, the axis of said pivots being eccentric to the axisof said bar and being so positioned that theeaxis of said bar is elevatedabove said pivotal axis when said Vbar rides over the crests of said rolls.

10. In combination with a fruit treating machine ofthe type employing a series ofA treating rolls rotatable about fixed Vaxes and arranged transversely to the ow of Afruit thereover and in adjacent parallel relation to form. fruit supporting valleys therebetween whereby fruit resting in each valley is dislodged therefrom by incoming fruitVV and caused to pass into the next valley: a cleanout bar disposed parallel with said rolls;V carrier means moving to propel said bar substantially along the path of travel of fruit oversaid rolls so thatrsaid bar engages fruit in Vadvance thereof and propels it' through said on said carrier means for pivotally mounting the said bar on said lcarrier means, the axis of said pivots being eccentric to the axis of said bar and being so positioned that the axis of said bar is elevated above said pivotal axis when said `bar rrides over the crests of said rolls, and means limiting the downward swing of said bar about said pivotal axis Ato prevent the axis of said bar descending al substantialA distance below said pivotal axis assaid bar traverses the valleys be-v tween the rolls;

11. The combination as in'r claim 2, which has a power means actuating said carrier means to automatically move said bar along said path by intermittent movements separated by pauses, said power means causing said bar to halt over a crest of one of vsaid rolls at the end of each lsuch movement. l

intermittent movements separated by pauses,

said power meanscausingv saidbar to halt over a crest of one of said rolls'at the end of each such movement. Y

13. The combination as in claim 4, which has a power means actuating said carrier means to automatically move said bar along said path by intermittent movements separated by pauses, said power means causing said bar to halt over a crest of one of said rolls at the end of each such movement.

14. The combination as in claim 8, which has a power means actuating said carrier means to automatically move said bar along said path by intermittent movements separated by pauses,

' said power means causing said bar to haltfover a crest of oneof said rolls at the end of each such movement. y

GERALD C. PAXTON. 

